Following a dramatic 128-125 overtime defeat against the Denver Nuggets, Houston Rockets head coach Ime Udoka expressed his dissatisfaction with officiating during the match, leading to a significant fine from the NBA.

The league imposed a $25,000 fine on Udoka for publicly criticizing the referees’ performance, which he deemed lacking.

“Just in general, I’ve seen poorly officiated games, but this was one of the worst,” Udoka remarked. He was particularly critical of referee Zach Zarba, as well as Natalie Sago and JD Ralls. With Denver claiming victory in this crucial match, they secured their position in the playoff race, while the Rockets’ defeat dropped them to fifth place in standings.

A turning point in the match occurred when Amen Thompson was called for a foul against Tim Hardaway Jr. near the end of regulation, a decision Udoka challenged but failed to overturn. Denver capitalized on this, with Jamal Murray making critical free throws, and eventually winning in overtime.

Udoka’s comments certainly raised eyebrows within the league, particularly his insistence that two referees were unqualified for the game and suggesting that Zarba was ‘star struck’ when officiating Nikola Jokić.

Despite the frustrations, Udoka emphasized the importance of his team remaining steadfast and undeterred by inconsistent officiating, encouraging the Rockets to “Keep being who we are; we’re not going to adjust to poor officials.”